Sparks Fly
by El loopy
Summary: The thing was Aunt Wu had never said that the powerful bender she would marry would be the Avatar, Katara had come to that conclusion herself. Now there is a second powerful bender around and she can't help but notice him... Set between 3x16 and 3x17. Katara x Zuko. Oneshot.


Sparks fly

 **A/N Because sometimes girls can't make up their minds...**

This had all started because she'd listened to that wretched fortune teller.

"He will be a powerful bender."

Those words were the exact words that her stupid brother had repeated a few hours later. She hadn't even looked at Aang in that way before then, and then suddenly it was like her eyes were opened onto her future and he became an option – an option she couldn't help but consider.

That was it. He was a powerful bender and she was going to marry one. Sorted. The Avatar. The most powerful bender that would ever live – in his lifetime anyway. Not bad going for a water tribe girl from the South.

It had all been going so well. She liked Aang and he liked her too. They had even, and she blushed lightly to think about it, kissed on a couple of occasions. It had been...nice. Trust the fire nation to royally screw everything up!

Prince Zuko. That infuriating, obsessive, somehow still very appealing shadow that had dogged their every step. His betrayal had cut her deep and now she was just beginning to recover, just beginning to trust him again. He had, after all, turned his back on his father and family to help them...to help Aang. She had seen her mother's killer and looked him straight in the eye. She had allowed him live and Zuko had let her. The ice inside her towards him melted a little in gratitude. Apparently that was all the opening her treacherous heart needed.

They were camping again nearby a lake, no longer under a roof. Zuko and Sokka were yet again off on a semi-dangerous mission and she watched them go with anxiety fluttering in her breast like a restless bird.

"Don't worry, Katara," Aang had soothed with his trademark reassuring grin. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Zuko is a powerful bender after all."

Just like that her heart froze in her chest.

"What did you say?" she barely whispered, as she once had long go to Sokka.

"Zuko's a powerful bender." Aang had laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Not as powerful as me but still pretty good." He laughed again.

A powerful bender but not the most powerful...had Aunt Wu said anything about her future husband being the most powerful? Katara's heart sank. No...no she had come to that conclusion herself.

 _'What's the matter?'_ A voice whispered inside her. ' _What difference does it make? You love Aang, don't you?'_

"Of course I do," she'd hissed back fiercely...but it wasn't enough. Once again her head filled with all the images that she had suppressed as once again her eyes were opened to a new possibility; the memories now looking different with different eyes. They had fought battles of strength and ability, water meeting fire in a furious hiss of steam, as they had retreated panting. It hadn't just been the rush of adrenaline that sent her pulse beating desperately against her skin but she had pushed away those thoughts. Later, in the caves of Ba Sing Sei, she had felt something new for him, something she hadn't been able to identify and hadn't wanted to look too closely at, but caused her to reach for the spirit water. She tried to lock the thoughts back up but she realised it was futile as only that evening Zuko returned from his mission. She felt relief flood through her followed by a burning warmth as he stepped into the firelight, without a shirt. She was glad the shadows hid her blush as she stared and quickly averted her eyes as he looked straight as her. She chastised herself for her own weakness, her own stupidity, but it didn't stop the rush under her skin.

"Katara, are you feeling okay?" Aang touched her shoulder in concern and she jumped.

"I'm fine," she tried to shake off his worried glance. Everyone was looking at her. "I'm just feeling a little...hot." She couldn't help it. Her eyes turned unbidden to Zuko's and she felt a spark zing the length of her body.

She leapt to her feet.

"I'm going to go for a swim," her voice sounded too loud to her own ears, and too fast, "to cool down."

She was gone before they could stop her.

The lake's water was soothing on her flushed skin. It took out the heat she felt had burned her, although couldn't quite reach the place inside where the flames licked the hottest. Somehow he had seared her to the core, and she had let him.

As she floated in the dark under the stars she cursed fortune tellers with their unclear predictions. She cursed Aang for saying those words. She cursed Zuko for walking around without a shirt on, as though he didn't realise that he had a good body, and for being understanding, and for making things right, and for helping her find her mother's killer. She tried to stop the list from reeling through her mind. Determinedly she put up a blockade but it merely flowed over the top. She tried to drown it out by thinking of a list for Aang but the words merely got swept away, a catastrophe of letters strewn and discarded over her mind. She resigned herself to continue in the hope it would clear her system. She admired (when had it turned to admired?) him for having a strong will, for changing to the good side, for loving his uncle, for being an amazing bender, for his grace and courage. For coming after her...dammit! Katara ducked her head under the night darkened water until she could no longer see the smudged shadow on the beach; too tall to be Aang, too well built to be Sokka. She should have known he'd follow her.

When she couldn't hold her breath any more she let her head break silently out of the water. The shadow had gone and with a sigh of relief she swam to shore, stepping onto the sand and letting the water trickle over her now cool skin.

"I was beginning to wonder if I had to come in and get you."

The voice made her jump and spin into a defensive stance, even though she knew it was him. Zuko stepped from the darkness of a boulder, arms folded, looking his broody self, thankfully wearing a shirt. She didn't dignify him with an answer, instead concentrating on water bending the droplets from her skin and letting them fall to the ground.

"Do you have to lurk like that all the time?" she muttered crossly.

Zuko merely tilted his head. "What's up with you? I thought we were good."

Katara sighed and shut her eyes in resignation before turning her gaze back onto him. "We are good."

"Then what's the problem?" he extended his arms in frustration. "You are acting really weird."

"Maybe you're the one that's acting weird," she pouted and instantly regretted the childish come back. It worked on Sokka but Zuko merely looked puzzled.

"Are you feeling all right?" he gave her a concerned look and took a step closer. "You said you were feeling hot. Maybe you have a fever. Let me see," he took another step, hand out reaching for her forehead and she realised how close he was. He was close enough to see the look in her eyes, for her to feel the heat of him...close enough for her to do something stupid. Fear jumped in her chest.

His fingers almost touched her skin.

"Don't!" she shouted and leapt back. At the same moment a jet of water sprang from the lake and hit him square in the chest, knocking him to the ground. His eyes widened in surprise, matching her own shocked expression. Had _she_ done that?

"Katara!"

She was grateful for the distance from the camp; that they probably couldn't hear what was going on. She hoped Toph was asleep.

"Just stay back," she warned, taking a step away. "I don't want you near me Zuko."

His eyes narrowed and she should have seen it coming. In one movement he was back on his feet and heading straight at her. A water whip snapped at him defensively and he dodged it, skidding in the sand and rolling back into a standing position.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong." His voice was hard with stubbornness and she felt panic pound in her head. She knew that tone.

"There's nothing wrong," she insisted – pushing the tremble from her voice with anger. "Just leave me alone."

Again she sent water at him, but this time he was ready and dodged the attack. Wave after wave flew at him in a desperate flurry and suddenly he was directly in front of her, his hand gripping her wrist and the water she was bending splashed harmlessly to the ground.

They stood, both breathing hard from exertion, his touch burning over her skin, pulse flickering in her throat. His face was annoyed, frustrated and downright determined and she knew it was over.

"Katara."

She felt the false anger disintegrate.

"Zuko..." it was a warning, pleading.

"What are you afraid of?" he whispered, bemused at the look in her eyes. He released her wrist and placed a hand on her cheek. The touch sent a fire through her and she couldn't stop the flame any longer.

"Your skin is burning..."

Her lips on his cut off the words.

She could feel his surprise in his posture, felt his hesitation, and then he relaxed. His arms brought her close. His lips covered hers and she tasted embers. The fire poured into her, raced through her veins and sent her nerves burning.

When they parted he was as dazed as her.

"It's like drinking from a mountain spring," he said in awe and she realised that he had been affected by her as well. They stayed pressed together, two elements merged, breathing the other in.

A chattering noise shattered the silence and they jumped apart guiltily. Momo stared at them accusingly from a nearby rock. Katara glared back but with an embarrassed flush on her cheeks, grateful that he couldn't talk.

She met Zuko's eyes and they both looked away quickly, gazes scattering all over the landscape.

"Well this is awkward," the firebender stated, running a hand through his hair.

Katara sighed and rested her head in her palm. "You weren't supposed to follow me," she muttered.

"Hey!" Zuko snapped, pointing a finger at her, " _you_ kissed _me_."

Their eyes met, sparked; the memory crashing over them both simultaneously as words dried up. They quickly looked away again. The silence stretched out tight between them.

"I have a kind-of girlfriend," Zuko admitted, "sort-of."

"And I have a..." her words failed her as she tried to describe what she had, "...I have an Aang."

Zuko looked at her seriously. "So do I."

Understanding passed in the space between them.

"This can never happen again," she stated firmly, metaphorically putting her foot down, as much on her own racing emotions as his.

"Agreed," Zuko nodded.

"Next time, don't follow me."

"Next time, don't kiss me."

They paused in a stalemate for a beat before Zuko broke it.

"Good night then, I guess."

"Yeah," Katara folded her arms, "good night."

She watched him walk away, but he paused after a few steps and glanced back.

"You coming?"

"In a minute" she replied edgily, "I have something I need to do first."

She waited until he was out of sight before lowering herself to the ground and adopting the same pose she'd seen Aang do dozens of times of deep meditation.

"Don't let me down bending," she whispered.

Over the next few hours Katara chased the fire in her veins until she had it held in one place. Determinedly she built around it a prison of ice, trapping the flames and covering them until she could no longer see even a flicker. In there she left the memories of unknown feelings and she left the unfinished list and as the sun rose to warm her face in a natural heat she breathed a sigh of relief.

"That should hold you," she muttered to herself as she turned back to camp, following the same path Zuko had taken hours before. She did not acknowledge the tiny voice that whispered after her, "for now."


End file.
